January 21 / 13.25 Fakenham

13.25

Good To Soft

Betting Better With Sky Bet Mares’ Handicap Hurdle

  • Prize money: £5281
  • 2m 0f 3y
  • Class 5
  • 7 runners
RTV
View Course
Betting Better With Sky Bet Mares’ Handicap Hurdle

Runners: 7 runners

Type: Hurdle Turf

Surface: Turf

Weather: Rain

Form: 7-4631 CD

Last run: 33 days

W: 12st 0lb

6 yo Filly

OR: 92

Form & Verdict
Not an instant success for Dan Skelton but blinkers have helped lately, and she came good with 8l win from the front over C&D (soft) last month; 7lb higher now but still a very obvious contender.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

5

9th Mar 2024

Soft

3m 1f 119y

Class 5

14:17 Hereford

Lady Berlais

11st 6lb

J: Miss Heidi Palin

T: Dan Skelton

Made all at Fakenham (2m, soft) in December when 5lb lower; nothing since and the trip is a worry.

12/1

2

12th Feb 2024

Soft

1m 7f 195y

Class 5

16:45 Plumpton

Lady Berlais

11st 9lb

J: Charlie Todd

T: Dan Skelton

took keen hold, led, headed 5 out, weakened quickly after 4 out, pulled up after 3 out

5/1

Form: P-8741 C

Last run: 13 days

W: 11st 12lb

9 yo Mare

OR: 90

Form & Verdict
Dual 2m4f course winner who looked back in prime form when keeping on gamely to win 13-runner Taunton handicap (2m, soft) a fortnight ago; probably doesn't have much margin for error off today's 6lb higher mark but ought to make her presence felt again.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

10th

12

1st Apr 2026

Good

2m 3f 179y

Class 5

16:50 Wincanton

Sawpit Sienna

10st 2lb

J: Benjamin Macey

T: Samuel Drinkwater

11yo mare who has not won in over two years and was tailed off at Taunton (2m3f, good) last month; others are preferred.

16/1

10th

10

9th Mar 2026

Good

2m 3f 1y

Class 5

17:10 Taunton

Sawpit Sienna

10st 2lb

J: Miss Clara Brewitt

T: Samuel Drinkwater

A dual course scorer but this veteran mare came in last of five in 2m Lingfield handicap last month; others are preferred.

16/1

5th

6

5th Feb 2026

Soft

2m 0f 0y

Class 5

13:35 Lingfield

Sawpit Sienna

10st 2lb

J: Murray Dodd

T: Samuel Drinkwater

Not lasting out over longer trips this term, so return to 2m makes sense, but it's over five years since she was last able to win outside mares-only company; 6lb out of the weights.

16/1

OUR TIP

Form: 3-P663

Last run: 33 days

W: 11st 12lb

6 yo Filly

OR: 90

Form & Verdict
Ran well to a point over 2m5f on handicap debut in November and, having dropped in trip, stuck to her task well when third to Lady Berlais over C&D (soft) last month; another 2lb lower now and enters calculations.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

2

4th Jul 2025

Good

2m 5f 122y

Class 5

15:08 Newton Abbot

Our Pink Lady

11st 7lb

J: Sam Twiston-Davies

T: James Owen

Bagged a pair of 2m4f Southwell handicaps last spring and has continued in good nick, second of 12 back there 25 days ago; she ought to be in the shake-up again.

6/1

3

9th Jun 2025

Good

2m 4f 88y

Class 5

16:50 Southwell

Our Pink Lady

11st 11lb

J: Henry Brooke

T: James Owen

Dual C&D winner in March 2024; those were on soft ground but she's fine on good and was twice runner-up before appearing not to stay 3m here in April; should run well.

5/1

Form: 34-7

Last run: 68 days

W: 11st 10lb

5 yo Filly

OR: 88

Form & Verdict
Won low-grade Flat handicap last summer and was not disgraced in Huntingdon novice when back over hurdles in November; no surprise if she makes the necessary progress on today's handicap hurdle debut.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

9th

5

(4)

9th May 2026

Good To Firm

1m 2f 0y

Class 6

19:55 Leicester

Fillyfudge

9st 6lb

J: Darragh Keenan

T: Lemos De Souza

Scored over hurdles at Stratford last May but below par on the AW over the winter, beating just one home in 1m2f handicap at Chelmsford in February; more is required after a break in a change of headgear.

14/1

7th

1

(7)

26th Feb 2026

Standard

1m 2f 0y

Class 6

20:00 Chelmsford (AW)

Fillyfudge

9st 9lb

J: George Wood

T: Lemos De Souza

C&D scorer but she's not proving the easiest to predict of late, tried in a change of headgear when only sixth of eight in 1m handicap here last month; others are preferred.

12/1

6th

8

(6)

15th Jan 2026

Standard

1m 0f 0y

Class 6

18:00 Chelmsford (AW)

Fillyfudge

9st 0lb

J: George Wood

T: Lemos De Souza

All three of her wins on the Flat have been over 1m2f; failed to beat a rival home at Southwell (1m3f, AW) in November but she ran a better race when fifth of 12 at Wolverhampton (9.5f, AW) 26 days ago; cheekpieces replace the visor but this is the shortest trip she has encountered since July 2023.

12/1

Form: 122-1P D

Last run: 26 days

W: 11st 9lb

6 yo Filly

OR: 87

Form & Verdict
Took form to new level when scoring at Plumpton (2m, good) last May, her second success over hurdles, and ran well for a long way at Wincanton last month after a layoff; open to further progress if that recent outing has brought her on; might be the answer.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

6

18th Jun 2024

Good

2m 2f 148y

Class 5

13:30 Stratford

Glance At Me

10st 13lb

J: James Martin

T: Andrew J Martin

Posted career-best performance when winning at Fakenham (2m, good) in April and will be fine over today's longer trip but two very disappointing runs have followed and he now has a point to prove.

10/1

5

5th Jun 2024

Good

2m 0f 167y

Class 5

16:40 Newton Abbot

Glance At Me

11st 4lb

J: James Martin

T: Andrew J Martin

3-14 over hurdles with her most recent win coming in April at Fakenham (2m, good) ridden by James Martin; flopped when favourite at Plumpton in May; remains on a career-high mark and needs to leave that latest effort behind but is probably capable of doing so.

6/1

7th

4

12th May 2024

Good To Soft

1m 7f 195y

Class 5

15:50 Plumpton

Glance At Me

11st 9lb

J: James Martin

T: Andrew J Martin

Beat Andapa to win this race on good ground a year ago and added to her tally at Fakenham (2m, good) six weeks ago; back up to her career-high mark today but ought to give this a good shot.

9/2

Form: -P98P1 D

Last run: 7 days

W: 11st 7lb

5 yo Filly

OR: 78

Form & Verdict
66-1 winner of a juvenile hurdle in November 2022 and ended string of poor performances with 25-1 success in Kelso handicap (2m, soft) a week ago, keeping on well to win readily by 16l; still looks well handicapped under 7lb penalty here but it's very hard to predict whether she'll be in the right mood again.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

4

24th Feb 2024

Heavy

2m 0f 190y

Class 5

16:35 Newcastle

Silver Vision

11st 5lb

J: Edward Austin

T: Stuart Coltherd

prominent, pushed along and pressed leader 2 out, going okay when fell last

5/1

5th

4

26th Jan 2024

Soft

2m 0f 178y

Class 5

13:35 Sedgefield

Silver Vision

11st 6lb

J: Edward Austin

T: Stuart Coltherd

took keen hold, prominent, pressed leader briefly 3rd

9/2

Form: 766-6P

Last run: 33 days

W: 11st 0lb

6 yo Filly

OR: 78

Form & Verdict
Still unexposed after only five hurdling starts but was a well-beaten outsider in her first two handicaps (1m7f/2m3f); connections have much more obvious chance with her close relative Sawpit Sienna.
Place /
No / Draw
Date / Going /
Distance / Class
Time + Course Horse + Weight
Jockey / Trainer
Verdict Starting price

11

16th May 2026

Good

2m 4f 189y

Class 5

17:20 Uttoxeter

Sawpit Samantha

10st 2lb

J: Benjamin Macey

T: Jo Davis

0-17 and she beat only one in 2m4f Warwick handicap chase in March; a change of headgear is adopted now.

50/1

8th

9

26th Mar 2026

Good

2m 4f 0y

Class 5

15:28 Warwick

Sawpit Samantha

10st 2lb

J: Jack Hogan

T: Jo Davis

0-14 over hurdles and soundly beaten last of three on last month's chase debut at Leicester; others are preferred.

33/1

Verdict

Lady Berlais (second choice) drew nicely clear to score over C&D last month and is respected, while Sawpit Sienna and Silver Vision have both won this month. However, the suggestion is GLANCE AT ME, who travelled well for a long way in a much stronger race than this at Wincanton on Boxing Day, after a layoff, and will hopefully come on from that run here.[Chris Wilson]